Students and their families struggling to get enough to eat or keep a roof over their heads could soon get some relief in Irvine after city officials refocused their approach to some of the city’s neediest residents. 

It comes as Irvine officials are taking a closer look at their efforts to build affordable housing in the city and rethinking how those projects can better serve the local community, especially homeless students in local school districts.

During the city council’s April 8 meeting, council members approved allocating nearly $1 million in state grant funding to push forward an initiative meant to house homeless students and prioritize local populations of need in affordable housing projects.

The council approved the action in a 5-1 vote. Councilmember Mike Carroll voted no.

The vote advances the city’s new “Irvine Cares” housing initiative — a larger program the council is expected to continue discussing later this year.

“It’s really intended to develop a thoughtful mix of social service and affordable housing support at targeted areas of the city where there could be potential problems,” Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi said in a phone interview.

Irvine has received over $10 million in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) state grants since 2022. The city qualifies for this state funding since it has a population of more than 300,000 residents.

The council’s approval will utilize this state funding to move forward with a three-pronged initiative.

The first portion will help fund a partnership between the city, the Irvine Company and the Irvine Unified School District to house homeless families and children.

According to staff’s presentation during the meeting, the school district has identified 88 families — comprising 103 students — who are currently homeless or housing insecure.

Heather Dion, the health and wellness director for Irvine, said the Irvine Company has agreed to provide the city with 25 existing apartments that will be rent-restricted for housing a portion of these students and their families.

Chi said the Irvine Company is giving the city the 25 units without a direct benefit in return.

“Part of the reason we have more affordable housing units in Irvine than any other city has been because the Irvine Company believes in building affordable units,” he said. “They haven’t fought all the different policies and regulatory issues that we’ve instituted over the years.”

Each family enrolled in the program will receive services like case management, childcare and transportation.

The city is slated to allocate $500,000 in state grant funds to support this effort.

Mayor Larry Agran called this action a “down payment” toward ensuring there aren’t any homeless children in the city.

“With the cooperation of the Irvine Company and with the adoption of our new two-year budget, I think we’re going to be in a position to declare sometime this summer that yes, we’ll see to it that there’s no homeless child in the city of Irvine,” Agran said during the meeting.

The second effort is meant to assist at-risk students enrolled at Irvine Valley College.

During the meeting, staff explained that a 2023 survey found that approximately 21% of students at this community college were experiencing financial hardship. The survey also found that 15% of respondents were having difficulty paying rent and 21% were experiencing food insecurity.

This portion of the Irvine Cares program will assist up to 25 college students with rent stipends, and they’ll be required to engage with a case manager.

The city is expected to allocate $250,000 in state grant funds to support this effort.

The last portion of the initial program is meant to provide further resources to youth enrolled in the Irvine Cares project through a partnership with the nonprofit group Stand Up For Kids, which will provide additional support as individuals transition through high school to higher education or their careers.

The city is expected to use $150,000 in state funds to support this effort.

Councilmember James Mai said he was supportive of the action finding real solutions.

“One of the problems that I have in general with government, even though I’m sitting here, I have a problem with just throwing money at situations and giving temporary band-aids to problems versus solutions,” Mai said at the meeting. 

“I see this program as a great solution, not just as a band-aid.”

He also emphasized that the program won’t cost the city anything since it’s being fully supported by state grant funding.

The council’s vote on April 8 also directed staff to study new strategies aimed at prioritizing local residents for affordable housing projects.

Chi said the city’s planning commission and city council are expected to consider a local preference policy for affordable housing projects sometime in May.

The vote comes after the council approved and subsequently backed out of creating a homeless shelter in the city — minutes before escrow would have closed on Election Day.

[Read: Irvine Backs Out of Proposed Homeless Shelter at 11th Hour]

Moving forward, city staff is slated to assess new regulations that would prioritize Irvine-connected residents for affordable units.

That could include updating the city’s affordable housing in-lieu program to allow developers to contribute land to the city, in addition to funding, that the city could then use to develop affordable housing targeting local communities.

“I’m very excited and very optimistic about how we’re going to use these funds to help people that are related to the city,” Mai said, “not just anyone who can walk into the city and get assistance.”

Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.